Richard Bruton
Question:251 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress made to establish a class for children in the autistic spectrum at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [17384/04]
View answerTuesday, 15 June 2004
Questions (201, 202, 203, 204, 205)
Written answers
At present the school has two special classes for children with Asperger's syndrome. My Department has no record of receiving an application from it for the establishment of additional special classes for children in the autistic spectrum. My officials will contact the school to clarify the position.
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:252 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has for the future allocation of special needs assistants; and if they will be part of the weighted system proposed for 2005 or continue to be allocated on the basis of assessment by individual children’s needs. [17385/04]
View answerSpecial needs assistants may be approved to support a pupil who has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or other pupils. The criteria used for the assessment of the need for special needs assistant support is outlined in my Department's circular 07/02.
My Department continues to review the existing arrangements for the allocation of special educational supports to primary schools. The basic purpose of the review is to ensure that each school has the level of resources required to cater for its pupils with special educational needs.
I am anxious to ensure that special education support services are properly targetted at the children who require them. I also want the substantially increased resources that have been made available in this area to support all of the children that have been assessed as requiring special needs.
The proposed weighted system relates to the allocation of special education teaching support only.
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:253 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will allow schools to retain their current number of special needs assistants until the new weighted system is introduced in 2005. [17386/04]
View answerSpecial needs assistants may be approved to support a pupil who has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or other pupils. The criteria used for the assessment of the need for special needs assistant support are outlined in my Department's circular 07/02. Resources will be retained in schools where there is a continuing care need in accordance with the Department's circulars.
My Department continues to review the existing arrangements for the allocation of special educational supports to primary schools. The basic purpose of the review is to ensure that each school has the level of resources required to cater for its pupils with special educational needs.
I am anxious to ensure that the support services are properly targetted at the children who require them. The sector has received a substantial increase in resources. I want the funding to have the desired effect of ensuring that all children assessed as having special needs receive enough support.
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:254 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science when his Department will make a decision on the applications for special needs resources from more than 4,000 children whose applications with psychological assessments were in his Department since before September 2003 and of the children whose applications were received since that date. [17387/04]
View answerMore than 5,000 applications for special education resources were received between 15 February and 31 August 2003 and are being considered. Priority was given to cases involving children starting school last September. All of these cases were responded to at or before the commencement of the current school year.
The balance of more than 4,000 applications were reviewed by a dedicated team comprising members of my Department's inspectorate and the national educational psychological service. The applications are being further considered in the context of the outcome of surveys of SER provision conducted over the past year and the data submitted by schools as part of a nationwide census of SER provision.
The processing of applications is a complex and time consuming operation. My Department will complete it as quickly as possible and my officials will respond to all applicant schools. Pending a response, schools are advised to refer to circular 24/03 that was issued in September 2003. The circular contains practical advice on how to achieve the most effective deployment of resources already allocated for special educational needs.
Teacher resources for each applicant school will be based on a new weighted system of allocation which I announced recently. The system, as part of an additional allocation of 350 teaching posts, will involve two main elements: making a staffing allocation to schools based on a predicted incidence of pupils with special educational needs; and making individual allocations in the case of children with more acute lower prevalence special needs.
It is expected that the change to a weighted system will bring with it a number of benefits. The new system will reduce the need for individualised educational psychological assessment, reduce the volume of applications to my Department for additional resources for individual pupils and give greater flexibility to schools, which will facilitate the development and implementation of improved systems and procedures in schools to meet the needs of pupils with low achievement and pupils with special needs.
Transitional arrangements for the introduction of the weighted system are being developed in consultation with representative interests. As soon as consultations are completed the detailed arrangements for processing applications for resources, including those for special needs assistants and those received after 31 August, will be set out in a circular and will be issued to schools.
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:255 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention was drawn to the insecurity felt by special needs assistants about their future employment; and his plans as they affect special needs assistants for the school year 2004-2005 and from 2005 onwards. [17388/04]
View answerSpecial needs assistants may be approved to support a pupil who has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or other pupils. The criteria used for the assessment of the need for special needs assistant support is outlined in my Department's circular 07/02.
My Department continues to review the existing arrangements for the allocation of special educational supports to primary schools. The basic purpose of a review is to ensure that each school has the level of resources required to cater for its pupils with special educational needs. Resources will be retained in schools where there is a continuing care need in accordance with the Department's circulars.
I am anxious to ensure that special education support services are properly targetted at the children who require them. The sector has received a substantial increase in resources. I want to ensure that the funding has the desired effect of ensuring that all children assessed as having special needs receive enough support.